Mangrove jack, bull sharks offer striking options

WITH the weather warming up, mangrove jacks have been making a more regular appearance in the Gold Coast estuaries.

Ashley Masters with a quality Brisbane River threadfin.

FISHING LINES

WITH the weather warming up, mangrove jacks have been making a more regular appearance in the Gold Coast estuaries.

Fishing late afternoon into the night seems to be providing best results for the bait fishers out there.

Live mullet or herring are the go for large jacks.

Focus on likely ambush locations like bridges or the ends of rock walls for better results.

If you want to throw lures, smaller hard-bodied lures like the Jackall squirrel or Rapala Jack Deep seem to be getting more consistent hook-ups.

Super early in the morning will see you getting better quality fish, as they are still moving around hunting.

As the sun gets higher swap to paddle tail plastics and work the pontoons and under overhanging trees where the jacks can seek refuge away from the sun.

The bass in Wivenhoe Dam have been a little slow at the moment but the yellowbelly have made up for it. They are providing entertainment for anglers heading to the dam.

Focus on steeper rocky banks and points as this give the yellowbelly somewhere to ambush prey.

Trolling deep-diving lures like the Halco Poltergeist 8m divers around the points is a great method for searching out new areas.

If you want to cast and retrieve lures, hopping vibes and Tn60s worked well for us through the week picking up a handful of quality fish over that 50cm mark.

Working the edge with Jackall 14g Chatterbaits has provided best results for the bass though.

Bull sharks have continued to be a favourite target species at the moment.

With this heat, they are definitely on the chew.

There are plenty of land-based location to target these sports fish.

The Jindalee and Indooroopilly boat ramps offer some areas where you cast a few lines out.

Further up the river at Kookaburra Park, Goodna and the Junction are all hot spots.

The go-to bait is freshwater eel. This can be purchased from Charlton's Fishing.

The biggest tip I can offer the first-time shark catcher is keeping it simple.

Medium heavy rod, coated wire trace and a 7/0 circle hook are all you need; no balloons or sinkers to worry about.

We have caught heaps of sharks on this rig in the river and there are fewer things to go wrong.

Charlton's Fishing is at Redbank.

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Include your name, suburb, why your catch was so enjoyable and what equipment and bait or lure you used.